Jill is on a belated vacation this week with a good friend, so it’s just me, the cats, & this one at home right now.

Dolly Marie Carroll Mehra (credit for the above photo goes to Sonya Cuellar) is our approximately twelve-year-old, spoiled, demanding, loving, ridiculous lap dog/rat terrier/child. We adopted her from a rescue organization just over three years ago, after she had been found, emaciated, wandering the streets of Portland, Oregon and eating trash. As those of you who have been reading this blog for a while may remember, Jill and I had just said goodbye to our sweet old yellow lab, and our house ached with that absence. We knew we wanted to adopt an older dog, the ones who often have the hardest time finding a home. The minute Jill received a text message from Dolly’s foster mom, we fell in love. A week later, we had her flown to Houston and she’s been our girl ever since.

The dog is profoundly thrown by the fact of Jill’s absence; since Jill works from home, Dolly has grown accustomed to having a lap to lie in pretty much all day. And someone to throw the ball for her whenever she wants. Not to mention someone to feed, cuddle, walk, & pay near-constant attention to her. My mom, who works with infants for a living, swears she has never met a human baby as high-maintenance as our dog.

Of course, as any crazy dog person will tell you, our little creature gives to us at least as much as she requires of us, probably more. While Jill was doing her chemotherapy treatments last winter, Dolly protected her like a fierce little jackal, snuggling with Jill on the couch for hours. When I drive home later today, her head will be in the front window, ears up, barking to announce and trumpet my arrival. We’ll walk out to get the mail, throw her favorite two-tennis-ball rope toy, build a fire, and cuddle on the couch while watching Glee. I’ll sing one of the dozens of silly songs I’ve invented for her, with one of her equally ridiculous nicknames woven in: BooBoo, Doll Boo, Boo Bear, Boo Bear McScoo Bear, Wina Bina Augustina & Sabrina, Punkin’ Boo, etc. It’s entirely possible that we will dance around the kitchen to Lady Gaga.

Our little dog lived a hard life before she came into our life. Lord only knows what she’s been through or seen. She’s an old lady now, and we are all too happy to be her retirement home.

I cook for the people in my life, in order to show my affection for them. Why should the dogs in my life be any different? These were a snap to make and Dolly, who as I’m sure you gathered by now can be quite choosy, LOVES them. I plan to make another big batch this weekend to send out along with other (human) treats for the holidays!

These have kept for two weeks in an airtight container (I doubled the recipe).

ingredients:

2 eggs

½ cup canned pumpkin

2 tablespoons dry milk

¼ teaspoon sea salt

2 ½ – 3 cups brown rice flour *

oven: 350°pan: cookie sheets, no need to grease or line

In large bowl, whisk together eggs and pumpkin to smooth. Stir in dry milk and sea salt. Add brown rice flour gradually, combining with spatula or hands to form a stiff, dry dough. Turn out onto lightly floured surface and if dough is still rough, briefly knead and press to combine.

Roll dough to ½ inch thickness and use a biscuit or other shape cookie cutter to punch out the dough, gathering and re-rolling scraps as you go. Place shapes on cookie sheet.

If desired, press fork pattern on biscuits before baking, a quick up-and-down movement with fork, lightly pressing down halfway through dough. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until they are firm and lightly brown on the top. Remove from oven and carefully turn biscuits over, then bake additional 15-20 minutes. (I checked mine at 15 to see that they weren’t getting to brown). Allow the biscuits to cool before feeding to a dog!

*In the original recipe, Marilyn points out that many dogs have a gluten insensitivity that makes brown rice flour a better choice. I had no trouble finding a Bob’s Red Mill version in the Natural Foods section of my regular grocery store, but you could also use whole wheat flour if your dog has no trouble digesting wheat.